Appeal No. 96-2501
Application 08/177,243
travel for fluids passing through the conduit along some
arbitrary longitudinal axis. In this regard, the examiner notes
that the language of claim 7 does not specify that the
"longitudinal axis" set forth in the independent claim is the
central longitudinal axis of the conduit and that such
longitudinal axis thus "could be an axis near the wall of the
conduit, offset from the center axis of the conduit, or any axis
running lengthwise along the conduit" (answer, page 11).
It has been a long-standing maxim of patent law that,
during examination, "claims in an application are to be given
their broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the
specification" and, in addition, that the "claim language should
be read in light of the specification as it would be interpreted
by one of ordinary skill in the art" (emphasis added). In re
Sneed, 710 F.2d 1544, 1548, 218 USPQ 385, 388 (Fed. Cir. 1983).
Our Court of review has also informed us that the drawings
included in the application may aid in the interpretation of
claim limitations, in that the "drawings alone may be sufficient
7
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